Turkish Cypriot leader backs new path to ‘fair, lasting’ settlement

Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met on Tuesday as part of the U.N. head’s latest diplomatic effort to revive stalled negotiations over the divided island, with both expressing support for confidence-building measures and a renewed approach to the decades-old Cyprus dispute.

The meeting took place at the Turkish Cypriot presidential office after Guterres held talks earlier in the day with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides in the southern part of the island.

Speaking before the closed-door meeting, Erhürman said the Turkish Cypriot side remained committed to working toward a “fair and lasting” settlement while emphasizing the need for a different negotiating framework from previous rounds of talks.

“I believe you are aware of the Turkish Cypriot people’s strong commitment to a fair and lasting solution,” Erhürman noted. “We are doing our best regarding confidence-building measures. Unlike the experiences of 2004 and 2017, we are now working on a new and realistic methodology that can help us achieve our common goal.”

He also expressed support for the U.N. secretary-general’s mediation efforts, saying the Turkish Cypriot side would continue to contribute to the process.

“We strongly support your efforts and welcome them. You can be assured that we will continue to do our utmost,” Erhürman said.

Guterres reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to supporting dialogue between the island’s Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, while stressing that any lasting settlement would also require the involvement of Cyprus’ guarantor powers.

“We are determined to do everything possible to support the two communities in their search for a solution,” Guterres stressed. “We recognize that a solution also depends on the contribution of the guarantor countries. For that reason, we attach great importance to every effort that strengthens the well-being of the two communities and their commitment to reaching a settlement.”

The U.N. chief said there were important opportunities ahead and pledged continued support for initiatives that could move the process forward.

“I am very pleased to be here. Thank you for your kind hospitality,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Guterres said his visit was intended to reaffirm the United Nations’ support for efforts to resolve the decades-old Cyprus dispute.

“Once again, I want to say that I came here to express my solidarity with the people of Cyprus and my determination to contribute to finding a solution together with the Cypriots and the guarantor countries,” Guterres said.

The U.N. chief also emphasized the importance of expanding confidence-building measures that could benefit both communities on the divided island.

On Wednesday, Guterres is expected to hold a trilateral meeting with Erhürman and Christodoulides at the U.N. Good Offices Mission headquarters in the buffer zone. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time, and the secretary-general is expected to hold a news conference afterward.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from both sides, including U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar and U.N. peacekeeping mission chief Khassim Diagne.

The visit marks the first by a U.N. secretary-general to Cyprus since Ban Ki-moon traveled to the island in 2010.

DAILYSABAH